Omaha daily bee., 1887-08-05
A BIT Of YELLOW METAL
Yet II Started the California Gold
FIELDS.
THE PRosPEcroR's STORY.
A Precious Relic at the National
Museum - James w. Mar.
shall's Valuable Dis.
COvery.

the NatlOnal museum, NJ washington. 1t
is securely sealed in little glass bottle,
and there Is no longer any danger of
contagion. 1t is little nattened piece OF
gold about the size of gold dollar. 1t
is the piece found by Marshall while dig
ging mll-race the year before the fever
set in. 1t was sent direct to the Smith
sonian in August. 1s4S The following is
copy of the letter that accompanies it.
SAN FRANCISCO, August %, 1S4s.-This
paper contains the fist piece OF gold ever
discovered in the northern part OF Upper
California. 1t was found In February, 1s4S,
by James w. Marshall, in the race of Captain
John A. Suffers saw-nill, about fOrty-live
branch of the American Fork IL was beaten
out with hammer by Mr.. Marshall TO test
It's ma!leabi,ty. Its presented to the Ma
tional institute, Washington, ID. c..
j. l.. Folsom.
j. l.. Folsom was captain in the
United States service. There are many
pieces of gold in California claimed to be
the facts in favor of their claim. The
discovery Of this piece of gold by Mar
shall led to the search for more, and 1t
was found. 1t was the seed that up to
1880 had produced 81 200, 0O0. 900 in gold.
Prior to this discovery Indians and few
missionary priests had been collecting
some gold in other parts OF the state, but
this was the very first piece found in the
gold belt, and it led to the great rush to
California in 40
DR.. II. NJ. Dawes, the dentist of " est
Washington, was one of the forty-Ainers
who started out from Washington. He
was talking over the matter with Star
reporter. IA party of u.s." he said,
took sailing vessel at Baltimore in
March, and we were seven months and
fourteen days making the trip to San
francisco. There were my brother and
ex-senator Sergeant, then a local re-
Washington boys and myself, and there
we're quite number of others from Bal.
timore to make up the party. That WAS
the way Sargent first went to the state ne
afterwards represented in the senate.
We had pretty hard voyage. The cap
tain OF the vessel treated US 80 badly that
when we got to Rio dc Janeiro we com
planned to the consul and had him re-
moved. This caused delay of fourteen
days. Then at Valparaiso we had to un-
load steam engine and other cargo,
which caused delay of twenty days
more. 1t was very weary voyage be.
fore we got to San Francisco. Sargent
did not go all the way with us. He got
of at Valparaiso, and from there sailed
TO San francisco in another vessel. |
remember that he studied Spanish all the
way from Baltimore to Rio de Janeiro.
'When we arrived at San Francisco
several of our party who were carpenters
stopped there. They got SIG Il day for
working at their trade there, and
thought 1t better than taking the chances
| in the mines. There We're six in my party
who vent into prospecting. Everything
was fever and excitement there then.
All sorts Of sensational reports of big
finds were circulated, but there was not
as much outlawry rs many people sup
| pose. In San Francisco there was con-
siderable gambling. 1t was not much
| of city then. All the buildings were
frame and the gambling houses were
| like the frame barracks they put up for
| soldiers. The gaming rooms were in the
front and the bar IN the rear. Gamblers
would pay $50 Il night for each table.
They never counted the money, but just
stacked it up on the table, and measured
| only men who wore white shirts.
| "There were no courts. If a man
committed IN otfense in the, diggins he
was tried by twelve men, selected for the
occasion, and ctheir decisions were
prompt and Just. For that reason there
| were few crimes committed. Our gold
was left in the camp without any
one to guard it. and it was
never stolen. l would sometimes
pan out in the sun to dry No cne
ever disturbed it. For serious crimes the
| jury of twelve would hang q man; fol
petty larceny they would norsewhip him
and give HIM twenty four hours to get
out of camp. If a man sunk pit anC
threw pick or shovel in 1t, he could &c
on prospecting, and if he returned any
time within ten days he would find his
claim to the digglngs respected;
"When our party landed" he con
tinued, 1--WE went to Sacramento, wher,
we got three yoke of oxen and Wagon
that had come overland, and started TO,
the diggings, well stocked with pro
visions. We went first to South fork
then to North fork, or Feather river
There was SO much mud that we had lt
abandon our cattle and wagon and carry
our packs on our backs. We did prett,
well, but ! was sick and had to keep on
while. When We dissolved partnership
at North fork sack of flour fell to ml
share and l sold it for $500. | thei
bought boat and gun and shot quai
ana jack rabbits and sold them in Sal
Francisco. Quail brought 81 and IS pc
dozen dead and $l2 alive, and jack rab
bits 81 and s. each. The second time
went back to San Francisco the choler
was raging there. Men were dropping
dead like sheep.
IL went to the diggings again, and W
came across big rock near Middle For
standing high out of the water, whic
whirled in swift eddy around it. w
knew if there was any gold in that loca
ity 1t would be right IN this eddy. So W
filled the bags with sand. made n dam I
turn the water aside so that we coul
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